Package of labels and method of making the same



Patented Sept. 19, 1933 PACKAGE 0F LABELS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Leonard C. Huttner, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor of one-hall. to Comelis L. Brouwer-Ancher,

Minneapolis, Minn.

. Application June 26, 1930, Serial No. 463,964

5' Claim.

This invention relates to the formation of an article of manufacture as a sheet comprising a plurality of free-on-three-sides labels; to the method of producing such an article and to the method of forming a book from a plurality of such articles.

Among the objects are: to provide a method for producing a sheet in which a plurality of label areas are defined by slitting, and which lebel areas can be converted into a plurality of free-on-three-sides series of labels by .a single out after the sheets are assembled; and to provide methods of forming pads and booklets from such sheets in which, after formation, a single straight cutting of all sheets of the booklet or pad produces on each sheet a plurality of freeon-three-sides labels connected by perforations defining the fourth side of all labels.

Features of the invention include all details shown, along with the diiferent forms of article per se, as well as the methods of producing them, and the method for producing pads and books.

Features, objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the description of the drawing forming a part of this application, and in said drawing:

Figure l is a face view of the sheet, illustrating the method of label formation, as well as one form of the article;

Figure 2 is a perspective View illustrating that step in the method inwhich a plurality oi. sheets are after slitting and perforating, assembled to form a pad; Y

Figure 3 is a view showing another step in the method wherein the pads are hingedly connected;

Figure l is a perspective illustrating another step in which the pads have been superposed and in which cuts are made to complete the separation of the labels;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the article after the finishing cuts have been made;

Figure 6 illustrates the finished article, as a book, and the method of attaching the cover; and

Figure 7 illustrates a modification in which a single finishing cut produces two sheets and si-= multaneously frees all labels of each. of the two sheets.

In carrying out the invention a sheet of paper 1 of suitable size (and ordinarily of rectangular configuration) is slitted to provide two series of substantially parallel slits. The slits of one series are designated 2, and those of the other series 3. The slits extend crosswise of two opposite sides of the sheet but do not intersect the sides. The

corresponding members of the series are aligned crosswise of the sheet and have their ends 56 adjacently arranged but spaced apart. Thus, parallel rows of slits are arranged crosswise of the sheet, in this case two slits in each row. The sheet is also punched to produce two lines of perforations, indicated 7-8, respectively in--.

tersecting all ends 5 of one series of slits 2 and all ends 6 of the other series of slits 3. The perforations extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the slits but do not intersect the sides 910. Indicia of any suitable character 12 may then be printed in the spaces between the slits, or on the label spaces defined by the slits. The sheet thus formed can be easily handled and counted. That is, it retains its sheet form until counted and bound.

The method of forming the article above described, as well as the article, are features of the invention. The method of forming a sheet having a single series of slits is also a feature. After the slitting and perforating has been accomplished as set forth, to provide a plurality of duplicate-cut sheets, a sufiicient number of sheets are superposed and jogged up in the usual manner so that corresponding slits and perforations of all sheets are in oppositional registration. If the sheets have the form shown in Figure l, a cut is now made along line A-B, half way between and parallel with the perforations 78. The next step is shown in Figure 2. Each pad section thus formed is then tabbed as at 15 in the usual manner, and in addition may be stapled as at 16. It is, of course, understood that printed matter of all sheets is faced in the same direction. The two pads are then laid face upwardly, as shown in Figure 3, and an inside binding strip 1'? is applied to hinge the pads together in book form. When the book is in open position, the label areas of the top sheets oi both pads can be viewed simultaneously, and inasmuch as the printed matter on corresponding tabs of each sheet are identical and face in the same direction, it follows that if any top label of either pad is removed, the label of the same character immediately beneath it is exposed. After applying the hinging strip 17, the pads are folded to form the closed book as in Figure 4. After folding a single straight line out is made along line B--C intersecting the ends of the slits 5 and 6. Single cuts are then made at opposite ends along lines D-E, F-G to intersect opposite ends of rows of perforations 7 and 8, whereby there are produced on each sheet a plurality till of free-on-three-sides labels connected by a single line' of perforations which defines the fourth side of all tabs. This condition is indicated in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows the application of covers 20 to the book thus formed, the covers being held to the pads by a; hinging strip 21. For convenience of illustration, the cutting operation has been described as taking place before the covers are applied, but it will be understood that it may, and preferably does, take place after the covers are applied.

It will be understood that any kind of printed matter may be applied to each label, and this matter may be exactly the same for all labels, or it may be difierent for each label. In practice, the sheet is printed and then the slitting and perforating operations are performed. Colored lines (not shown) may be printed upon the sheet across the slits lengthwise thereof to provide a border at the top and bottom of each label.

It is obvious that a single sheet section including, for example, only the slits 2 and the line of perforations 7 can be produced instead of the double sheet structure of Figure 1. In either case the label separation is not completed, at least until the sheets are counted and jogged up. The cuts DC, lD-E and F-G are generally made after either a pad, or a booklet, has been formed.

It is evident that by the practice of this invention, much time is saved, because the sheets can be counted and jogged up while the labels lie in the plane of the paper. After padding or binding, a single out along line BC frees the third side of all labels, if the line 7 of perforations, for example, intersects the sides of the sheets, and it is, therefore, not always necessary to make cuts D-E, F--G. The cut B-C not only then. frees the labels on the third side, but is also a finishing out.

In Figure 7 a method and article modification has been illustrated. In this case, a plurality of two sheets, or two tablets, each. comprisinga plurality of free-on-three-sides labels, connected by a line of perforations defining the fourth side of all labels. In this case, a. single finishing cut produces two sheets, and frees all labels of each of the two sheets.

Again referring to modification of Figure "I. In this case, after the sheets have been slitted and perforated, and a number of them superposed to form a pad, the opposite sides are tabbed as at 31, and then the single out along the line HI is made which results in the completion of two pads, each having a plurality of sheets of labels which are characteristic of this invention.

It can then be seen that in both forms illustrated in Figures 1 and '7, the gist of the invention is the slitting and perforating to partially define a plurality of labels, and the making of a single cut which produces, either in a single sheet or in two sheets simultaneously, a plurality of free-on-three-sides tabs connected by a line" of perforations defining the fourth side of all labels,

neonate There is, therefore, no intention to be limited to the specific forms shown'in the two illustrated embodiments, but to claim broadly the idea of slitting and perforating in such manner that a single out may form a plurality of labels in the manner mentioned.

Inasmuch as an important feature of this invention relates to an article of manufacture and to methods of forming it, the main portion of the description has been directed particularly to those features. However, a valuable method, which is also a feature, is claimed: the sheets are first printed, and then the slitting and perforating operations are simultaneously performed, by a die. The sheets are then counted out in bunches, and a cover inserted between each bunch, so that the covers can be cut at the same time as the sheets. In the case where the article has the form shown in Figure 1, the sheets are then out along the line AB. Tablets are thus formed from single sheets of paper and each tablet is then "tabbed in the usual manner by either gluing along one edge or stitching, or both. The single sheets are so die cutand perforated as to produce a multiplicity of readily and independently detachable sections or labels, the removal of any one of which exposes an identically similar label which lies immediately beneath it.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of forming a book from a plurality of leaves each of which has a plurality of parallel slits therein extending crosswise between two opposite sides but not intersecting the sides, and having a line of perforations substantially parallel with and adjacent one of said sides between.

which the slits extend, and intersecting all slits at one end, the arrangement and spacing of the slits and perforations of all sheets being identically the same, which consists in assembling sheets to form two pads, in which corresponding slits of which labels has printed matter thereon, which consistsin printing sections of the sheet which correspond to label -areas,then forming slits and perforations to partially separate the printed areas, then superposing a plurality of sheets, placing a cover member on each side and then making a single out which intersects the slits in a manner to additionally separate the printed areas and produce a plurality of free-on-threesides labels, upon each of which printed matter appears, and with the fourth side of each label defined by perforations.

3. A method for forming a tablet of labels which consists in forming parallel slits in each sheet, then forming a line of perforations intersecting the corresponding ends of all slits, then superposing a plurality of sheets with corresponding slits in register, and then making a single out which intersects the ends of all of those slits which are opposite the ends defined by perforations, to produce a plurality of free-onthree-sides labels with the fourth side of each label defined by perforations.

4. A method of forming two label tablets from a plurality of larger sheets, each of which has a plurality of parallel slits extending crosswise between two opposite sides but not intersecting the sides, and having parallel lines of perforations respectively intersecting all corresponding ends of these slits, the arrangement and spacing of the slits and perforations of all sheets being identical, which consists in assembling the sheets with corresponding slits in register, then making a single out between the lines of perforations to produce two tablets of free-on-three-sides labels, with the fourth side of each label defined by perforations.

5. A method for forming a book from a plurality of leaves each of which has a plurality of parallel slits extending crosswise between two opposite sides but not intersecting the sides, and having a line of perforations substantially parallel with and adjacent one of the sides between which said slits extend and intersecting all slits at one end, the arrangement and spacing of the slits and perforations of all sheets being substantially the same, which consists in assembling the sheets with LEONARD C. HUTINER. 

